“Sports enhance personality, teach respect and increase one’€™s quality of life,”€ says Neal Takamori, McKinley athletic director.

Being active and exercising every day helps support the body’€™s health and performance. At McKinley, we have 20 different sports that students can take part in. Students involved in sports are always moving around. This helps circulate blood throughout the body, lets more oxygen get to the brain and makes the person more alert to their surroundings.

The body also develops stronger muscles and bones and the immune system increases in strength. One will not be as prone to illnesses and have the ability to maintain his/her appropriate weight. Partaking in physical activities also gives students a way to relieve stress and reduce depression.

From families.com, students who participate in sports are more likely to succeed in academics and graduate from high school. They are also more likely to not take drugs or smoke because they realize the negative impact it would have upon their performance. The social benefits are that students will be able to meet new people that share similarities with them. Everyone will have to work together in a sport.

Students learn how to communicate with each other in order to achieve their desired goal, like going to OIA championships. Students also gain self-confidence, self-esteem and discipline. These qualities help students handle defeat and victory in acceptable manners and show good sportsmanship.

According to the President’€™s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, one gains personal rewards from playing sports that can last a lifetime. One learns the value of working hard to reach a desired goal, the importance of picking one’€™s self up after falling down and just enjoy his/her time out there when playing with teammates.